Bicycle-saddle



No. 607,l9|. Patented July l2, I898. H. C. PHILLIPS.

BICYCLE SADDLE.

(Application filed Apr. 28, 1897.)

(No Model.)

.5706 Tor 4m WWII/Q9 HERBERT C. PHILLIPS, OF NE\V CASTLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

BICYCLE-SADDLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 607,191, dated July 12, 1898.

Application filed April 28, 1897. $611M NO- 634,272. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HERBERT O. PHILLIPS, of New Castle, in the county of Lawrence and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Saddles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

This invention relates to improvements in saddles designed, primarily, for bicycles, and has for its objectto provide an exceedingly simple, light, self-adjusting saddle, to which ends it consists, primarily, in a saddle having a base formed of metallic rods bent up into shape, with the forward portion of said rods doubled to form a pommel around which the seat material may be passed, with a cantleplate supported on the rear ends of said rods.

The invention further consists in certain novel details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, all as will be now particularly described, and pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a saddle embodying my present improvements, Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the same. Fig. 3 is a top plan View of the saddle. Fig. 4. is a detail perspective View of a pommel, showing different forms of lacing-retaining projections.

Like letters of reference in the several figures indicate the same parts.

In carrying this invention into practice in the preferred form I construct the frame proper of the saddle of metallic rods or, more properly, a single metallic rod, (lettered A in the accompanying drawings,) which rod is doubled centrally and the doubled portion bent upwardly in the form of a pommel A, the particular shape of which is immaterial and may be made to conform to the particular ideas of the manufacturer. The two branches of the frame extend backwardly from this pommel in a relatively long curve, becoming more and more sharp as the rear end of the saddle is approached, and at the extreme rear end of the saddle the two arms or branches of the frame are preferably top of the pommel.

2, and having a rearwardly-extending socket or bearing d for the reception of the ends of the frame. The cantle curves forwardly to a'slight extent on each side of this bearing, and the tension of the seat material strained between the cantle and pommel serves to hold the cantle firmly in place and at the same time allowing the rear portion-of the saddle to automaticallyadjust itself to the motions of the rider. The cantleis provided on each side of the center with transverse grooves or corrugations cl, preferably extending around the same from edge toedge and'adapted to receive and hold the seat material in place against transverse displacement, and in the preferred construction this seat material is formed of cords or lacing drawn back and forth and around the pommel and cantle or rear plate, as shown. The lacing on each side of the center is preferably independent,

and the ends are first secured in any preferred manner, as shown, by doubling the lacing int-he form of a loop F, Fig. 1, which is caught around the pommel, the two ends of the lacing being thence carried back over the pommel and back and forth around the cantle or rearplate and pommel, the extreme ends being passed through openings in the cantle-plate and secured by knots or enlargements tied therein. Such construction permits of a ready and convenient readjustment of the seat material by drawing up the lacing on either side of the center and forming a new knot or enlargement in the end, preventing the release or loosening of the lacing, which will be readily understood.

The pom mel is arranged substantiallyvertical, and the lacing from the sides of the can tie is passed around the base, whilethat from r the center of the cantle is'pass'ed around the The result of this ar rangement is that when the weight of the rider is placed on the saddle the elasticity of the frame will cause the upper end of the pommel to swing in more rapidly than the lower portion, and the center strands being relaxed more than the side strands the weight is borne mainly by the sides of the saddle, a result which is highly desirable.

To hold the lacing in place and smoothly and to give a proper conformation to the forward end of the saddle, the pommel is provided with spacers, in the preferred construction in the form of simple projections or pins G on the forward side of the pommel, with a central spacer or projection G at the apex. Obviously the particular form of these spacers or retainers is immaterial, and in Fig. 4: I have shown three forms, that lettered G being a simple pin, while G is a projection in the form of a pin struck out from the body of the frame itself, and that lettered G is in the form of a flange extending partially around the pommel and secured thereto by solder or formed thereon in any well-known manner.

To provide for lateral adjustment of the seat material intermediate the ends of the saddle, I confine the seat material by means of an adjustable loop II, preferably formed by a cord having a slip-noose at one end inclosing the seat material and having its other end secured to the cantle or rear plate by he in g passed through openings therein,whereby said loop or slip-noose may be adjusted to any point intermediate the ends of the saddle to confine the seat material, and it will automatically adjust itself to the desired size, inasmuch as the slip-noose of necessity grows smaller or larger as it is moved away from or toward the cantle or rear plate.

To afford additional comfort to the rider, I preferablyinclose the lacing at the rear portion of the saddle by a leather cap or casing K, formed to fit approximately the ends of the cantle-plate and portion of the lacing adjacent thereto, said leather cap or casing being held in place and adjustable as to width by a transverse lacing K on the under side of the saddle.

The strands of the lacing, it will beobserved, pass around both the cantle and pommel. Thus there is a double length of lacing to yield when pressure is applied to the seat, making the flexibility, therefore, equal to that of a strand double the length of the saddle, each strand being free to move over the curved bearing at the end of the saddle.

\Vhen desired, the leather casing may be removed readily and the lacing alone will there are no heavy metallic parts necessary or heavy seat material required for maintain ing the sadddle in its proper shape.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is" 1. In a cycle-saddle, the combination with the frame, provided with substantially Vertical parallel side portions and a cantle supported directly 011 the rear end of said frame, of divided seat material connected with the cantle and passing around the substantially vertical sides of the pommel, the seat material from the sides of the cantle passing around the lower portions of said vertical sides and the seat material from the center of the pommel passing around the upper portions of said sides whereby the elasticity of the frame will allow the center portion of the seat to relax more quickly and with less pressure than that at the sides and thereby support the major weight of the rider on the side portions of the saddle; substantially as described.

2. In a saddle, the combination withthe frame formed of a rod doubled at the center and bent upwardly to form a pommel and having its rear ends brought together and rounded to form a pivot-bearing, of a cantle having a socket for the reception of the rounded ends of the frame forming a universal joint and curving forwardly from said socket on each side, of seat material strained around said cantle and at the forward end passing through and strained around the pommel whereby the cantle is pivotally supported; substantially as described.

3. In a saddle, the combination with the frame, poinmel cantle and lacing passed back and forth between the pom mel and cantle, of a leather cap, or casing inclosing said lacing at the rear end and transverse lacing uniting the edges of the leather on the under side of the saddle whereby the same may be adjusted in width; substantially as described.

HERBERT C. PHILLIPS.

\Vitnesses:

L. I. WALKER, F. II. WALKER. 

